New Family
by BML Hillen-Keene
Summary: Inspired and based upon the Blended Family Universe. Read them, they're good. The Turtles from the SAINW Universe join the seven brothers and Master Splinter in their home. But will their own pain ridden past return to haunt them in their new home?
1. Prologue

**Blended Family: New family**

_A/N: Kikide has graciously permitted me to write a story based within her own Blended Family Universe (Check them out, even if you're like me and dislike Leo, you'll love them). A kind of spin off from her last story thus far 'BF: Same As It Never Will Be', where the whole family of seven were catapulted into the SAINW universe and met their counterparts. I came up with this little niggling idea, what if the older them joined said family? When you think about it, it is kind of permitable given they all died in the episode, so obviously they really weren't needed anymore. And they all really need some healing._

The Lair was becoming a mite crowded, now that there were ten turtles and one rat living there. The three new arrivals, returned with them after the defeat of the Shredder of their world. As they had stood, watching the younger ones leave, their eyes lingering on Donatello and Donny, their hurt, and pain from the loss of their brother had shone through, and Leo could not find it in his heart to leave them behind. It was a vote that was over before the words had been said; none of them could leave them behind. So ten of them had returned through the inter-dimensional portal Leo had created and back to the Lair, shocking Master Splinter in the process.

The older turtles had vanished into Master Splinter's room almost the instant they had returned, and had remained there for two days. The other's had speculated about this, until Donatello had mentioned Splinter's death and the fight The older Leo and Raphael had had when they had first met them, and everyone had understood and quietened down.

Until Mikey had voiced his and Michelangelo's shared question. "What are we gonna call them?"

"Well the older Leo can be Leonardo." Donny offered, smiling at Leo, who nodded and gave a small smile back.

"And me?" asked the age and experience laden voice of the older Michelangelo, who had just emerged from Splinters room and was leaning against the wall, a smile playing on his lips as he regarded the younger turtles, reminiscent of the smiles Michelangelo and Mikey were sporting.

"How about Michel," Michelangelo suggested.

"Or Angelo?" Mikey added.

"Or Mike." Leonardo said, stepping out from behind the one armed turtle.

"Or Idiot." the older Raphael snickered joining them.

"Hey!" All three Michelangelo's protested, earning a resounding snicker from the three Raphael's, smiles from Donatello and Donny, while Leonardo and Leo just shook their heads, though Leo was grinning as he did.

"I like Mike." the older Michelangelo said after a moment when the amusement had died down.

"Then Mike it is." Leo smiled, clapping his hands together. "What about you?" he asked, directing his gaze towards the older Raphael.

The older Raphael shrugged. "Only so many things ya can do with a name like Raphael."

"I'm sure we can come up with something." Donny told him.

Leonardo made his way to his younger counterpart. "Might I speak with you?"

Leo looked up, a little surprised, but he nodded. "Sure. We'll go to my room if you want to talk privately."

"Thank you."

Leaving their respective siblings discussing names and teasing each other, Leo lead Leonardo to his room, seating himself on his bed and leaving the chair free for his older counterpart. Leonardo took the chair and sat. Silence hung between them for a long moment.

"Is this about why we asked you to come with us?" Leo began gently, giving Leonardo time to collect his thoughts and frame them into a relevant state. Leo knew, from his own thought process, that he needed to settle himself on a suitable explanation before he began.

"Yes." Leonardo responded finally.

"We asked you to come with us because we wanted you to. Wanted you here." Leo cocked his head a little to the side and smiled sadly. "And I think you maybe needed us."

There was no response, and Leo let his counterpart consider his words before adding, gently. "I don't know what it's like to lose a brother, and I hope I never will. But I do know that my brothers, all of them, know what it's like. I also know that you needed our help, you need us. We're not a replacement for your Donatello, and we never will be. But I hope you can find some happiness with us."

"And your brothers, they feel the same way?"

Leo grinned. "Technically they're your brothers too, just because we're from an alternate reality to your old one hasn't changed that much. At least not that I've noticed really. How do you think they feel?"

There was a prolonged silence, but Leo's smile did not fade, he merely waited for Leonardo to realise the truth. Finally Leonardo nodded, and caught Leo's eyes, despite the dark glasses covering them. "Thank you."

The silence then was more companionable, just the two of them sitting, enjoying the quiet company of the others. The sounds of laughter drifted from the main room to them.

"Will it not be strange, having not only another one of yourself here, but an older version?" Leonardo asked causally. "Will that not upset the applecart? After all, we are a lot older than the rest of you, with a lot more experience."

Leo shrugged. "The others have managed well enough with another one of them. It will be nice to have someone who can understand exactly what goes on in my head sometimes. And as for the others. Well, I'm sure we can handle anything that happens."

For the first time in what felt like an age, Leonardo smiled.

"Hey guys!" Donny said quietly, standing in the doorway. "We're ordering Pizza. You guys want any?"

"Finished the naming already?" Leo asked.

Donny shook his head. "When I left they were still squabbling over it, Mike and the brats are having a field day. Raphael wants to thump them. Donatello suggested we have some dinner. It's about the only thing they can all agree about. So, do you want any?"

Leo laughed a little at the image Donny's words conjured in his head, sharing an amused look with Leonardo he nodded. "We'll be there in a minute."

"Sure." Donny turned and left.

Heading to the doorway Leo turned to glance at Leonardo. "Welcome to the family." was all he said before he left.

Leonardo looked at the empty doorway, and smiled again, slowly. Leo was right, they needed this. He and his brothers. And he was not about to let the chance pass him by. Beside's which. He hadn't had a Pizza in years.

_Umm, I think I have satisfied my own craving for this idea. But I can make it multichaptered if you'd like. Just let me know. And please review._


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Applies for whole story, forgot to add it to the first chapter, but its here now._

_Hi again, Yes I am back. Let me just say, this story is an AU of an AU. I'm not sure exactly what Kikide has planned, and I'm sure it will be different from this. Anyway, basically I am going to give my own impression of what happened to the SAINW Donatello, and bring in a character I am sure you will all recognise who I noticed was missing from the Blended Family stories. Hey, I've got my own tangent going here, its fun. Btw, the three older turtles will be referred to as the 'Trio' as an easy reference for them_

**1.**

It had been over a month now since the older trio had joined the family, and they were regarded by all the younger turtles as their older brothers. Even though they all turned to Leo for as much of the time as they always had, the older three had become the port of call for any of them should Leo happen to not be there. It was an easy and workable relationship.

Leonardo, Mike and the older Raphael (who had yet to gain an acceptable version of his name to differentiate him from the other two in speaking, though the Brats had really taken to calling him 'Pirate' due to his one eye), had been living in a war zone for so long, drowning in their own grief and sorrow, that the peace, warmth and clear sense of family in this new dimension was a welcome relief. Mike had started to smile a little more, and though he was Michelangelo, and by definition alone the youngest brother, none of the younger turtles treated him as such. And none of them would unless, heaven forbid, something happened to Leonardo and Raphael sr.

To Mikey and Michelangelo Mike was the cool big brother who managed, with an ease neither of them had truly managed, to deftly turn Raphael away from them after a prank. Because of this they dragged him into many of their escapades. He went willingly enough most of the time, but there was always that extra experience his years had lent him in that war torn world, which set him apart from his younger counterparts.

But this was accepted as easily as the younger turtles accepted Raphael sr.'s. rather more easy going demeanour. He had become surprisingly mellow in his time there, just shaking his head and giving a crooked half smile to the Brats when they showcased their newest names for him. Unlike even Raph, who could eventually be annoyed by their antic's, the Brats had yet to raise even a glare from the older Raphael, not that they didn't continue to try.

When asked by the younger Raphael how he could possibly stand the annoyance, he had merely chuckled and said. "For me the war's over. Beside's, they made Mike smile." and that was the end of that conversation. It puzzled Raphael a little, but he thought he understood enough of that sentiment to let it go.

Leonardo was just an older Leo, more jaded perhaps, and less given to smiling, but he still possessed the same basic temperament, and was easy to talk to about the important things, and he always made them feel better, not exactly like their own Leo did, but enough. Leonardo was also of the habit of checking periodically on the Geek twins, just to satisfy his own need to be sure they were still there, that they had not vanished like his brother had.

So, all in all, things had been going well. Perhaps a little too well, but none of them tried to dwell on that too much.

And so came the day when everything changed again, and not for the better.

X

"LEO!" Donny screamed, bursting into the lair, though he knew Leo was not there, and would not be for at least another five minutes, less if he was sufficiently spurred on by the panic that filled Donny so completely, or maybe more if he had been affected badly by what had brought Donny here, screaming for his brother.

Everyone but the older trio had gone out, each to do their separate things.

"Donny?" Leonardo asked, stepping out of the kitchen area, a concerned frown on his face.

Donny was across the Lair and in Leonardo's arms in an instant, needing the comfort only a Leo could give.

"What's the matter?" Leonardo asked, arms encircling Donny tightly.

Donny buried his face in close to Leonardo's scarred plastron, and burst into tears. "Donatello… he's gone!"

Leonardo froze, blood turning to ice within him at the words, but he was silent, aware of his brothers gathering round, knowing they had heard and felt the same fear he did. Was it happening again?

"We were in the junkyard; we split up, because we always find more stuff that way, so I don't know what happened. But one minute he was there, I could feel him, and I knew he was fine and the next he was just… gone… He wasn't where I'd left him, and I can't feel him at all. It's like he just vanished. But he shouldn't be able to just vanish… unless he severed the link, and he wouldn't do that, which means the only thing left would be that he was… that he was… dead… and I can't think of what else it could be!" the words by the end were more sob that actual words, but each of them heard it, and it fed that fear each of them had.

Raphael sr. moved round until he could look at Leonardo, seeing the same hopelessness there he could remember from when their own Donatello had vanished so completely. They knew about the links between each of the younger turtles, and though they couldn't fully understand what that meant, they did understand the implications of losing that link.

"He's not dead."

Donny turned his head to look at Leo, not leaving the comforting embrace of Leonardo for the moment. "You can still feel him? Talk to him?" he sniffed miserably, though there was some hope in his voice.

Leo's face fell, and he shook his head slowly, making everyone present, who included each of the turtles that had been absent earlier, feel extremely worried. Of all of them, Leo should have been able to sense Donatello. "But I know he's not dead."

"How?" Raphael demanded to know, concern making his tone harsh.

Leo looked at his squarely in the eye. "Because I know."

"So what do we do now?" Mikey asked, sounding subdued.

The Trio shared a look, and much to everyone's surprise it was Leonardo who answered, though it was obvious Leo completely agreed. "We go out there and find him."

_Short, yes, I know. But I've only just really come up with this, I'm flying by the seat of my pants here, however, all shall be explained. Don't expect a long story on the whole. I reckon ten or chapters ought to cover this muse. And hey, I had to get some Donnie angst in there somewhere; I'm a die hard Donnie fan. _

_Anyway, please review. Thanks!_


	3. Chapter 2

_Hi again! I think I'm obsessed with TMNT, none of my other fandom's are getting much work done to them recently (though I haven't forgotten them). Anyway, the evilness of me shall continue! Yay! I know you're all really interested, really. Lol._

2.

It was the silence that struck Donatello first, the complete, all encompassing silence. Oh he wasn't deaf, nothing of the sort. He could hear the whir of machines, the creaking of doors and the 'clickty clack' of feet on the floor. But inside his head, where his brother's should have been was silent. And he wasn't ashamed to say it terrified him.

He spent a few panicked minutes trying desperately to find the link with his family, to find Leo. But there was nothing, and he really didn't want to know why he couldn't. He shied from that thought like he would an unstable bomb.

Sucking in a deep breath in hopes to calm himself; even just a little, and thought back. If he just considered things logically, maybe he could work out what had happened, where he was, and why he couldn't feel his family. But the silence lurked and made it difficult to think without dread welling up in his gut and making him feel ill.

He had been in the junkyard with Donny--

Donny!

He moved, focusing on his surroundings more intently, searching for any sign of Donny, but whatever he was in was blocked off from most of what looked like a lab. Donatello slowly sat back down, not calling out, though he really really wanted to. Too afraid to get no response.

Ok, think. He had been in the junkyard with Donny, digging through some old computer parts they could possibly use for their new experiment when… nothing. There was no memory after that, not even one of a dart hitting him, or being whacked over the head. Nothing. Nothing hurt either, which meant whatever had happened left no lasting impression.

Except for the silence in his head.

Shifting nervously he looked out at what part of the lab he could see. He recognised a lot of the tools that lay strewn around, and none of them inspired any confidence that this was merely some kind of cosmic mistake and he would be released. He listened again, hoping to pick up any sounds that could be his twin, or at least tell him where his captor was.

The footsteps he had been hearing where inside the room, moving around just out of view, making the machines hum and whir as they were switched on and switched off. Donatello didn't know whether or not the person, or thing in the room with him just didn't know he had wakened, or whether they were ignoring him on purpose to worry him.

He knew it was probably the latter of the two. Those tools had not been placed there as haphazardly as they seemed, they were meant to scare. And despite wanting to remain calm and ignore the obvious attempt at psychological wearing down; the fact that he could not feel his brothers, his twin, Leo… it made it difficult to suppress the dread inside him as he started to imagine just what those tools would do to him.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but the world had narrowed down to those disgusting little implements on the little table. He cursed his own imagination and his knowledge, he knew what each of them could do, what each was used for; so the transition from knowledge to imaging exactly what was going to happen to him was not hard.

"Awake I see."

Donatello's eyes snapped immediately to the man who had just stepped into view. Glad for something else to focus on, wrenching his thoughts from the all but promised torture that would come soon, he studied the man. He was dressed in a suit, nothing like Donatello had expected, and he didn't exactly look like a mad scientist. But looks could be very deceiving, and the glint in the man's eyes made Donatello afraid.

Unsure of whether he should respond or not, whether this man knew he could speak, knew he was intelligent. Just why had he been taken?

"Shy are we?" The man smiled, a vicious hint to it. "No matter, we'll soon cure you of that."

Donatello shivered at the promise in those words, and he reached out in his mind for Leo, only to flinch back when he encountered the blankness there. The nothing.

It was a shock when the thing he was being held in, which he could see now that he was paying attention to it, was some kind of containment tube, slid down around him and disappeared into the floor. The next shock was the fact that he could not move. A shock because he had not realised it had happened. Eye's widening he tried to make himself move, but not even a muscle spasmed.

"Interesting, isn't it."

His eyes returned to the man, panic making his breathing unsteady. What had this man already done to him? He had been able to move fine earlier. Was it some kind of slow acting poison or something? The man was holding what looked like a long black needle, thicker and wider than normal needles and easily seen. What was it? Was it causing his body's paralysis?

He waited for an explanation. They bad guys always had an explanation of their dastardly plans.

But none was forthcoming.

Suddenly he could move again, and he jerked himself to his knees, staring at the man.

"I wouldn't suggest you try anything, after all, I can make you pay in ways you can't even imagine." the smile on the man's face was terrifying, and Donatello swallowed. It hurt him to think that he would have to go along with the man, if he could just control his body like that. He didn't know how he was doing it, but he did know what this was. The part of him that was detached, his more scientific side, was telling him that this was all part of wearing him down, forcing him to submit willingly to the experiments that would come. His body would betray him because of whatever this man had previously done to it.

He knew this.

But it didn't make it any easier to accept.

He wanted his brothers.

The silence in his head mocked him.

_Donatello probably seems a little more scatterbrained and susceptible to the psychological torture than you would imagine he should be. But the way I see it, losing that link with his safety nets would leave anyone a little shaken up. Anyway, please review!_


	4. Chapter 3

_Right, here we are again, with hopefully a longer chapter to deliver. Please read and enjoy, Ghostly Leo and the council are more directly from the third of the Blended Family Universe stories, and will only be making this brief appearance. Now, read and enjoy!_

**3.**

Leo had sent everyone out to search. Donny he had sent to April, because she would be able to help him both emotionally and in trying to find out what had happened and who could have gotten hold of Donatello, and why. His other younger siblings he had sent out with the Trio to search for any physical signs of their missing brother. The Trio had assumed full command. They were all worried, and they all wanted to find Donatello before something happened that was irreversible, but they had lived through this once, they would not let the overwhelming worry consume them as the other's would. They would not make the same mistakes they had in their world.

That was why Leo trusted them to lead his brothers in their search. He had other things to do. He needed to know what was going on, how it was that Donatello had been s completely cut off from them. The link hadn't been severed, he had not felt the same shock he had when Raphael had severed their bond, and yet, it wasn't there. Just a blank space where Donatello should have been. He knew the loss was affecting Donny badly, and he hated to even think about what this could possibly be doing to Donatello.

He meditated, focusing his thoughts on what he needed to know, knowing it would somehow reach the intended ears.

"Hey."

Leo opened his eyes to see his ghostly younger self sitting in front of him, looking downcast, which meant the news was not going to be good. "What did they say?" Leo asked.

Ghost Leo shrugged helplessly. "He's not dead."

"I knew that." Leo confirmed, but secretly glad he had gotten that conformation. "What about the bond?"

"He didn't sever it himself. It was not intentional on anyone's part. I think that is why you have not felt any particular backlash from its loss. Once he is found the link will be restored." Ghost Leo sighed deeply and looked regretful. "That's all I can tell you."

"No cleverly disguised hint to point us in the right direction?" Leo asked, forcing his tone to be light, even though heaviness had settled over him, because he knew what the answer was, but it steeled his determination. He would find his brother.

Ghost Leo shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry."

Leo shook his head and offered his younger double a small smile. "Don't worry. We'll find him."

"Even though he's not technically mine, I hope you find him, and I hope it's soon."

Leo nodded his thanks, getting to his feet, lifting his Katana's and sliding them into their sheathes with a snap. "We will." he said. Now he had to go out there and join his brothers in their search. Sending a wave of reassurance to those brother's who could feel him

X

Donny showing up at April and Casey's had been a surprise to the couple, but that surprise had quickly faded into concern when Donny had told them what had happened, and though she was still very pregnant April had taken the laptop he had carried with him, handing it to Casey to plug in, she had hugged him to her as he broke down in tears for the second time since Donatello had gone missing.

Once Donny was calm enough they had then begun their search, but with so little to go on it was a frustratingly fruitless search.

Donny could only hope his other brothers were having better luck.

X

Seven turtles came to a halt on one of the roof tops; the designated meeting ground for this particular area, each expression was grim. It was obvious that there was no news. Michelangelo heaved a huge sigh, dropping to sit on the edge of the roof, swinging his legs over the side.

"We're not going to find him… are we?" he asked quietly, shocking his brothers with his words.

"Don't say that!" Mikey cried, understanding just where his twin was coming from, but not believing that he had actually said it.

"Well it's true." Michelangelo said, he wasn't even confrontational, his voice lacking in any emotion at all. "I mean, they lost their Donatello and never found him. Now we've lost ours."

Raphael looked about to say something, most likely involving telling Michelangelo to stop being so stupid, when Raphael sr. laid a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. Allowing Leonardo the chance to move forward to stand behind Michelangelo.

"Yes, we lost ours." he said softly, drawing everyone's attention, the pain and guilt in his tone palatable. "But we never stopped looking for him. Never. We never found him. And maybe that was my fault, and maybe it wasn't. We searched until we had exhausted every avenue of enquiry that we could--"

"See! You just confirmed it! It's hopeless!" Michelangelo cried out.

Leonardo sighed a little. "I want to know why you're just giving up. Does your brother really mean so little to you that you would just stop looking before we even begin? I said that we, that is Me, Raphael and Mike had exhausted all leads we could. You forget that here there are a lot more avenues open to us."

"Like what?" Michelangelo questioned, wanting to cling to some hope, and refusing to answer Leonardo's insinuations that he didn't care enough about his brother. He did. And he wanted Donatello back, safe and soon. But he had disappeared, so completely, there was no trace of him, or what had happened to him. What if Leo was wrong and he was dead?

"He's not dead!" Leo declared, joining them on the roof.

"Junior tell you that?" Raphael asked.

Leo nodded. "He also said that disrupting the link was non-intentional. When we find him everything should be fine on that front."

"So all we have to do is find him?" Mikey asked, looking at his twin sadly.

Leo nodded.

"Where do we start?" Raph asked. "We've cased the whole city and there's no sign of him."

"We still have Donny." Leo mentioned.

Michelangelo brightened a little at this reminder, and Mikey looked relieved to see his twin more positive. "Donny's bound to know something. Right?" he looked round at his older brothers hopefully.

"We can only go and find out." Leo said, he paused before setting off though to look at the Trio. "Will you be coming?" like he already knew the answer to that one, but what just being polite and asking.

Leonardo nodded. "We'll be along."

With a nod Leo turned and dashed away after his younger brothers.

Watching them go, Mike sighed deeply. "This is way too like what happened to us." he stated.

Leonardo nodded.

"We'll find him!" Raphael stated roughly.

Leonardo put a hand on his brother's shoulder's and pulled them towards him. "We will. We won't lose him again."

_I have taken rather great liberties with the link between the brothers than I probably should have, and I have sort of shifted focus a little more to the older turtles. Unluckily I have the feeling that this story is going to be one of those that will be a little rough round the edges for years until I re-read it one day and edit it a bit. Please Review._


	5. Chapter 4

_Wow, nobody reviewed; I'm impressed by your restraint... well, not really. Hey, if I said anything to offend I'm sorry, I'm having that tendency at the moment no matter who I talk to (or write to, or even just imply). Don't know why, probably never will. Sigh. Anyway, here's the next part. If you'd review I'd be grateful, if not then I guess that's ok too. Oh, I meant to apologise last chapter for the whole taking advantage of the telepathic/empathic link between the brothers, but it's just the way my stories going for the moment._

4.

Two weeks had passed in a haze of worry and determination, but as yet no leads had been found. There was no sign of Donatello anywhere. There were no mentions of a giant green humanoid turtle on the streets, not a whisper from the science communities. There had been no TV broadcast's that began with 'Be on the lookout for--'. It was as if Donatello had literally just been swallowed up by the earth.

It was a difficult time, for all of them.

The Trio were out every night, searching long and hard, wracking their brains for anything they could think of, anything that would help in the search. This time was different from when they had lost their Donatello, this time they were handling it better, but only marginally. They had just joined this family, had just been beginning to settle in when this had happened.

It was an unspoken promise between them that they would not let the same thing happen to the younger turtles as had happened to them. They already knew what lead to dead ends, and so could be avoided, cutting the searching time in half. But knowing where not to look did not help them work out where too look. So far they had turned up nothing.

Donny and April spent much of their time online, running through all the options they could think of, researching every scientist/military person that had come into New York recently, anything that could indicate that someone had seen them and decided to snatch one of them for experimentation.

It was on one of the rare occasional all of them were in together, as they tended to make sure there were always at least two out looking at any time, just to be sure they didn 't miss something, that Michelangelo, who had been struggling with his emotions over the whole situation since it began, said.

"Raphael, do you remember that year?"

Raphael looked over, frowning, not liking that his brother was bringing up that time in their lives. "What about it?" he said gruffly.

Everyone else shared a look, knowing what they were referring to, but not understanding why.

"Do you remember when Don got real paranoid for a while? Saying he was sure someone was watching him, following him. Wouldn't leave the lair for a week because of it?" Michelangelo continued.

Raphael nodded, he had been so guilty and angry over what had happened with Leo that he had barely spared the attention for Donatello during those three weeks he had been acting like a skittish girl, jumping at shadows and refusing to go up top. Raphael had more than once gotten angry with him over it. He hadn't though about it since then, because soon after they had found Leo again and then everything had just snowballed from there. Obviously Donatello had also completely forgotten the incident. Or if he hadn't he had never mentioned it again.

"What was all this?" Leo asked, drawing his brother's attentions and frowning. He didn't like being reminded of his original family during that year he had been big brother only to his new one, but now he was sorry he had never bothered to find out what had happened then. Maybe this could have been prevented...

"It's not your fault." Raph murmured from beside him.

Leo gave him a strained smile before looking back to Raphael for an answer. "Well?"

Raphael shrugged. "It's just like Michelangelo says. You were... you know, and a few weeks before we found you again Don started to act weird. We were all... I was... more wrapped up in what had happened with you that I never really paid much attention. But it stopped a week or so before we found you."

"Or maybe he just stopped talking about it." Leo said softly, not accusing. But it was probably a true statement. If Donatello had thought his brother's lack of response in regards to his fears meant he was over-reacting to nothing he would have fallen silent and let it slide. Did that mean it had continued since then and Donatello had simply not told them because he believed it not important? "Donny?" he asked his question clear to everyone.

Donny looked at him, rubbing his fingers over his leather mask as he considered the silent question. "I never felt anything, and he never mentioned anything. But I suppose what with everything that's happened since then, maybe he just pushed it aside." he paused for a moment before admitting. "I would do it too."

Raph blinked at his brother. "Why?" he asked, surprised. Surely his brother knew them better than to think they'd dismiss his fears, especially now.

Donny's brow crinkled as he considered a way to put it to them that would not end up with everyone either looking very confused, or angry with him. "Well if it was me (which technically it is), after everything that happened when they found you again Leo, what with you almost dying, getting kidnapped, dying again, twice, then my being paranoid about someone watching me, no matter how freaked out it was making me, wouldn't even have a hope of coming out. It would just make everything worse, because then instead of healing like you were supposed to, you would be trying to work out who was watching me, Raph and Raphael would probably be angry then with me because I was getting you so worked up, and the Brats would be worried, and that would just put more concern on you, Leo. Everything just would have been bad."

All his brothers, even the Trio, stared at him in shock.

"You actually think like that?" Raph asked when it looked like Leo was incapable of it.

Donny coloured darkly in the turtle equivalent of a blush and shrugged helplessly. "I'm just saying... that might have been what was running through his head. I don't know for sure."

Everyone knew that was a lie and none of them knew whether to feel guilty or not, because if that was what had happened, how could they have let it slide. Sure the last few months had been hard, and Leo had seemed to be at the centre of it all always, but did that really mean that they valued him above their other brothers? They all knew they would give themselves for Leo, in an instant, or for anyone. How had they missed it?

"He mightn't have though. It might have nothing to do with why he's missing now." Donny interrupted their thoughts, not liking the emotions he could feel bouncing around the room. It was a natural thing; he deflected attention away from himself whenever possible when it came to matters such as this. He didn't like making his brothers feel guilty over him, and he knew Donatello probably hated it even more than he did.

Leo stared at Donny, though he wasn't really seeing him there. Those words had struck home, and the guilt welled up inside him, spurred further still when he felt the others, especially Michelangelo's and Raphael's. He knew there was no time to be guilty, but that didn't stop the feeling that he had failed his brother. He should have known. Somehow he should have known.

The Trio were silent, each lost in their own remembrances. Each wondering if something similar had happened with their Donatello, before he had vanished there had been an incident, a fight with some Purple Dragon's that had left Raphael and Mike wounded, not badly, but enough to keep them laid up for a time. Leonardo had been drowning in his own failure to protect them, and Don had been... Don had been a lot quieter around that time; they had all just assumed it had to do with what had happened to the two wounded turtles. But maybe it was something more than that.

Barely a month later Don had vanished.

"Too big a coincidence." Mike pointed out, shaking everyone from their thoughts.

Leo nodded, pushing aside his guilt for a later date. First they had to find Donatello. "He's right. You've been looking for people who came into New York recently. Check back to two years ago."

Donny nodded and spun his chair back to his laptop and started to search. Everyone waited with baited breath, each hoping that this time there would be some sort of concrete lead. Some hope of finding Donatello, and soon.

Three hours passed, Michelangelo and Mikey had started to fidget, unable to keep still as they nervously waited for Donny to come up with something. Raph sat beside Leo, watching Raphael pace like a caged animal, and wanted to do so himself, but he didn't want to leave Leo's side, knowing his big brother was tearing himself up inside with guilt. He always wanted to do something with the Brat's, hating to see them looking so worried.

The Trio were leaning against the wall in to corner of the room, speaking in hushed tones to each other as they pieced together the timeline of Donatello's disappearance in relation to their own Don's disappearance. Mike had brought up the idea of time paradoxes, in the way of a true comic book geek, though it was obvious he was very serious.

What if their world had been this one originally, after all they and half the younger turtles wore coloured masks, but something had been changed, something subtle that had lead this one to break away and change in ways their world had not. The fact that Donatello had gone missing almost exactly to the day their own Donatello had was proof enough. There could be hundreds of parallels universes, appearing every time they made a decision, in one of them they might have been able to stop Donatello disappearing. But every decision only affected one thing, it didn't stop the same people coming onto the scene later on and doing what they were always going to do.

It didn 't make a whole lot f sense. But Mike had obviously been thinking about it a lot lately, so his brothers let him have his say and waited to see if Donny pulled up anyone who seemed likely to be the culprit behind Donatello's disappearance, anyone that they recognised.

They all saw Donny's fingers falter on the keyboard and everyone moved a little, intent on finding out what he had found.

"Agent Bishop of the FBI, specially the branch devoted to protecting the earth against alien invasion." Donny said quietly. "Came to New York about two weeks before you said Donatello started to feel uneasy."

"That's him." Leonardo voiced. All heads turned to look at him, surprised by the complete conviction there.

Raphael sr. nodded, his one eye narrowing darkly. "About a month after Don disappeared he came out with all this stuff about Aliens, and what they could do to protect the each, a lot of crap that no one cared about. We didn't get it at the time, but it makes sense. He was killed soon after in a big fire at his lab."

"You're sure?" Leo asked.

Mike nodded. "When he died his whole la was destroyed, we didn't really pay too much attention because we were trying to find Don, and nothing survived the fire, nothing."

Leonardo looked saddened. "I suppose we selfishly hoped he was still alive somewhere, just waiting for us to find him. But looking back, it's the only logical situation. It fits everything."

Raphael's fist smashed into his open hand and he growled. "So when do we go get this bastard?"

Leo's eyes were hard, they were his Leader eyes. "You know where this lab is?" he asked.

Leonardo nodded, he had gone himself to check the remains, he could remember exactly where it was.

Leo nodded back before turning to his younger brothers. "Get your gear. We're going to get Donatello back."

_There, I think I kept everyone in character. Anyway. Please Review!_


	6. Chapter 5

_Here we are again… They're about to mount an attack upon Bishop's lab, but just what will they find in there? After all, two weeks have passed since we last heard from Donatello, what could Bishop have been doing to him….? Well, all will be revealed won't it? So read, enjoy and review!_

_5._

It was nine stealthy shadows that darted along the walls of the lab, which looked just like any other building in the area, not too done up, not too run down. It looked like every other building along the street, but everyone was sure that this was the one, they could feel it. Like silent electricity bouncing for one to the other.

There were no guards, not even one's hidden away. Obviously Bishop did not feel the need to have any. And it begged the question why? Why was he so confident that his lab would remain secure? Why did he think no one would come looking? Why?

Inside was silent, they were careful of the alarms, Donny shutting them down before they moved. But even inside security was not what it should have been.

It was almost as if they were at the wrong place.

They continued on, breaking into groups, searching the house from top to bottom, revealing nothing. Until Donny stumbled upon a key pad. It took a few tries but he managed to get it open without setting off any alarms. And a wall literally slid open to reveal a narrow staircase running down parallel to the wall.

The descended, Leo in the lead, the Trio bringing up the rear. The stairs ended in a corridor, metal and tile that seemed to stretch the length of the house, if not slightly longer. They moved as a single unit down the corridor until they came to a door. It took Donny a minute, but it slid open with barely a hiss. Everyone tensed with their weapons.

Still there were no guards.

"This guy is real sure of himself ain't he?" Raphael murmured softly.

Leo nodded, and they entered the room.

It turned out to be a lab, filled with every kind of machine available, but none of that registered as all their eyes fell on the figure sprawled onto a wide operated table. There was no one else in the room. Bishop must have gone out or something. In an instant all the younger turtles had gathered around the table, checking to make sure their brother was ok. Horrified by the lacerations and bruises that covered him body, the obvious signs of experimentation. But what sent chills running through them was the fact that Donatello seemed to be awake, his eyes open, rolling listlessly, like he was trying to work out who was there.

Leo reached out and gently brushed a hand over Donatello's brow, only to have his eyes widen fractionally, it would have been followed by a flinch, except he didn't seem to be able to move, at all, despite not being tied down.

Donny reach out and lifted one of Donatello's hands, he got the same reaction Leo had. "He can feel the touch." Donny whispered. "He just can't move." he was worried, and it was easily conveyed to his brothers. "We need to get him out of here."

Leo nodded. "Raphael." he said.

Raphael moved forward, and hating the look of fear that flashed through his brothers' eyes, he lifted him, mindful of the injuries. "Sorry Donnie." he whispered.

"Where's the Trio?" Mikey asked suddenly, having looked round to find that the older turtles had vanished.

"They'll catch up." Leo said, knowing exactly were the Trio had gone and wishing them well in their mission. "We need to get Donatello home now."

And they silently left the lab, the hidden basement and the house.

X

The Trio moved further along the corridor, leaving the younger turtles to care for their brother. They had other things to take care of. Coming across another door they entered silently, sharing a dark smile when they found their quarry. They shut the door with a click that made the man turn.

To his credit he didn't look in anyway perturbed or fearful to find three mutant turtles blocking his only exit, with their weapons drawn and ready.

"Come for your…" the man paused then. "Would it be brother or son? You seem quite the bit older than my current project."

He received no answer, and smiled humourlessly. "Have you come to kill me? Do let's get on with it."

The fight was over quickly. Perhaps had they not had thirty years living in a war zone Bishop would have beaten them, he certainly had the moves. But the brother's were face to face with the man who had taken their brother. This one had not killed Donatello, but they all knew he would have eventually, and so no mercy was shown.

Bishop fell before the onslaught, his head smashed in by nun chucks, heart impaled upon a single katana and his abdomen ripped open with Sai's. There was no way anyone could survive that attack.

Knowing that by now the younger turtles would have cleared the house and hopefully had Donatello well on the way back to the lair, the Trio began to 'clean up the evidence' as it were. They smashed each and every machine, broke every chemical they came in contact with until destruction reined supreme, before finally lighting a single match and letting it drop.

They watched from the roof of the building across the street as the house imploded upon itself, taking with it all the evil that had been held within. There was no need for words between them, their silence a stark testament as the sirens began to wail in the distance. There was nothing to say, they had done what needed to be done.

"Let's go home." Leonardo murmured, turning.

His brothers followed.

_Neh… not really sure what to say about this. I wanted Bishop to come across as one of those people who doesn't feel he needs to have guards around, like he had covered every option himself and needs no one else or something. Yeah… don't be too harsh when you review, please. I know it sucked._


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